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Easy + No Sew DIY A-Frame Play Tent

Vivi and Sebastian are the perfect age to start truly appreciating a good tent (or fort or castle) and making one seemed like a perfect addition to Camp Handmade Mood! They could spend hours and hours playing, reading, picnicking, and telling stories in their tent. It truly couldn’t be easier – and the fabric tenting is even no sew! You’ll need:

4 – 48″ 1/2″ x 3/4″ “slats”

3 – 48″ 3/4″ dowels (The dowels and slats were in the same aisle at Home Depot!)

a drill fitted with a 3/4″ “hole” (aka Spade) bit

tape measure

fabric glue

pencil

Approx. 96″ x 4′ of fabric (I used inexpensive white cotton fabric that was exactly the right width – it was about 40″ wide. I used Tulip brand Tie Dye to give it an Ombre Effect.)

Sand paper (if needed)

Safety equipment and a safe place to work

Mark each slat at 2″ from the end and 4″ from the other end. The 2″ marked end will be at the base of the tent and the 4″ marked end will meet at the top. Center the point of the bit on your line and drill two holes into each slat – one at each end – like in the image above. Sand any rough edges and if you care to paint or stain the wood, now is the time! The 3/4″ dowels will fit snugly into the holes that you’ve made. The pieces have a tight enough fit to stay during play but can be easily disassembled for storage or travel to a park or your friends house. Cross two slats at the 4″ end and thread the 3/4″ dowel into the hole. Repeat with the other two slats. Then fit one dowel into each side and bottom of the other ends of the slats. This gives your tent stability and a place for the fabric to attach. This is what your tent should look like at this point. Drape the fabric over the tent and center it. Measure where it will get wrapped around the bottom dowels to make a pocket. That’s a really hard instruction to write out. Just visualize it and know that when the fabric is over the tent frame you’ll get what I mean!) Measure a pocket at one end of your fabric and use fabric glue to secure. Be sure your dowel fits into the pocket! Repeat on the other end and when the glue is dry (or the final threads cut, if you are a sewer!) feed the dowels into the pockets and reassemble the tent. The a-frame tent stores easily and assembles in minutes – and will provide hours and hours of playtime indoors or out.

How adorable are these two??? Wish I had little ones to make tents for. Mine are grown and gone but we made our fair share of living room tents for the better part of 25 years! Pinning your awesome tent and sending to my niece – she’s got three sweeties of her own!